N.J. For information about tickets, call 1-609 936-1500.) BACH ARIA FESTIvAL-The conclusIon of thIS year's festival, in which the Bach Aria Group con- siders Bach's music as a crossroads of the regional musical styles of his time. June 25 at 8:30: Chamber works by Bach, Handel, Couperin, and Telemann. (Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, L.I.). . . <<II June 26 at 8:30: Choral and organ works by J. S. Bach, Buxtehude, Johann Kuhnau, and Johann Ludwig Bach (one of Johann Sebastian's distant cousins). (St James Roman Catholic Church, Route 25A, Setauket, L.I. The con- cert will be preceded at 7 by a lecture on Bach and the German tradition.). . . <<II June 27: An afternoon-long "Bachanalia," with an all-Bach concert (including the Cantata No 51) at 2, a panel discussion at 3:15, and a concert at 4:30, featuring more works by Bach (including three secular cantatas and the Fifth "Brandenburg" Concerto) and by Antonio Lotti. (Chelsea Center, Northern Blvd., East Norwich, L.I.) (For information about tickets, master classes, and other festi- val events, call 1-516 632-7239.) RUTGERS SUMMERFEST- The musicians of Aston Magna present an all-Schubert concert that includes songs and the Octet. (Nicholas Mu- sic Center, Rutgers University, New Bruns- wick, N.J 1-908 932-7511. June 26 at 8, With a pre-concert lecture by Elizabeth Aldrich at 6.) NORFOLK CHAMBER MusIC FESTIvAL-In the open- ing concert of the festival's fifty-thud sea- son, which will run through Aug. 7, the contemporary-music ensemble Speculum Musicae performs works by Mario Davidowsky, Pablo Ortiz, John Cage (his "Six Melodies," for solo violin), Joan Tower (her "Amazon"), and Schoenberg (his Chamber Symphony, Ope 9, as arranged by Anton Webern). (Route 44, Norfolk, Conn. 1-203 542-3000. June 26 at 8:30.) CARAMOOR FESTIvAL-Opening concerts of the festival's forty-seventh season, which win run through Sept. 4. June 26 at 8:30: Julius Rudel conducts the Orchestra of St. Luke's in Beethoven's "Creatures of Prometheus" Overture, Symphony No.3, and Piano Con- certo No. 3 (featuring Misha Dichter).... <<II June 27 at 5:30: The pIano duo of Misha and Cipa Dichter performs Brahms' own two-piano transcription of his Symphony No. 4 (plus several of his "Hungarian Dances"), as well as Milhaud's "Scaramouche" Suite and Ravel's "La Valse." (Katonah, N.Y. 1-914 232-1252.) JAZZ/POP/ROCK PERSONAL APPEARANCES PETER GABRIEL-The release last year of "Us," Gabriel's first pop album in six years, was greeted with a curious lack of enthusia m This unresounding welcome is hard to figure out, because the album is a fascinating, profound, and even courageous work, full of dense grooves, pan-global instrumentation, folk-rock lyricism, soul-music grit, and un- embarrassed self-exploration. (The lyrics on "U s" represent a rare instance of someone talking about his psychotherapy in an intel- ligent, openhearted manner that inspires empathy rather than cringing.) Gabriel some- how reconciles the digital sheen of contem- porary pop and the ancient organic roots of rhythmic song in a genuinely moving way. (Meadowlands Arena. 1-201 935-3900. June 23 at 8. . . . <<II MadIson Square Garden 465- 6000 June 24 at 8.) PETE SEEGER-When it comes to the folk song and political balladry, "America's tuning fork" has perfect pitch. At seventy-four. he has lost some of the energy with which he captivated audiences for decades, but he hasn't lost his adventurousness. The vast "number of tunes he has introduced to audi- ences include protest songs, work songs, union anthems, ecological songs, kids' rounds, and lots of Bob Dylan songs. Now there's a new generation of young protest sIngers-many of whom grew up delighting in songs Seeger wrote, like "If I Had a Hammer," and those he popularized, like "On Top of Old Smokey"-who will draw inspiration from this laid-back knight-errant of our commu- nal conscience. The pairing of Seeger with fifteen choruses singing international songs of freedom is promising indeed. You're guar- anteed to come away humming and stirred. With Bernice Reagon, from Sweet Honey in the Rock (Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield, mid-Park at 72nd St. June 26 at 3. No tickets necessary.) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-The King of N ew Jersey is winding up the last leg of his world tour with two benefit concerts, which will provide a chance to hear how his new band sounds after many months of seasoning on the road. (Last year's shows at the Meadowlands were wonderful but raw, with the whippersnap- pers occasionally straining to approach the power of the long-lost E Street Band.) Amid all the critical jawboning about whether or not the songs on the "Lucky Town" and "Human Touch" albums live up to Springsteen's past achievements, the thrill- ing theatricality of these shows has rarely been noted. Long live the local hero. (Mead- owlands Arena. June 24 at 7:30. . . . <<II Madison Square Garden. June 26 at 8.) JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL-June 23 at 5:30: Vivienne McKone. (Bryant Park, Sixth Ave at 42nd St. No tickets necessary.)... At 7:30: JIMMY SCOTT. (Winter Garden, World Financial Cen- ter, Battery Park City No tickets neces- sary.). . . At 8: MEL TORMÉ and CLEO LAINE. In performance, Me] Torme puts on display two great treasures: his own resilient, rhyth- mically agile voice and the collection of American Songbook standards his voice ca- resses. Tormé believes in good old-fashioned entertainment, but shtick almost never in- trudes on his act. The pipes of the Velvet Fog are still intact, and so is his taste. As for the elegant, Shakespeare-crooning Laine, you either love her or you don't; her diction is the best in the business. (Carnegie Hall. 247-7800.)...At 8: TRIBUTE TO ART BLAKEY. Drummer Art Blakey led less of a hard-bop finishing school than a swinging military academy; if you withstood his percussive lash you were ready for anything. Grateful grad uates from the last five decades who will honor their late mentor include Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Benny Golson, and Mulgrew Miller (Avery Fisher Hal1. 875-5030.)... At 8: Charles Lloyd (Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St. 362-8719.). . . <<II June 24 at 8: KEITH JARRETT. GARY PEACOCK. and JACK DE JOHNETTE. The in- clusion of two superbly interactive accom- panists, bassist Peacock and drummer DeJohnette, will almost certainly prod Jarrett away from the J arrettisms (themeless meanderings, soporific rumination, and the contrapuntal roar of his obsessive humming) that can turn hi olo performances into particularly frustrating musical earch par- ties. The trio's concentration on standards, too, can only help. (Carnegie Hall.). . . At 8: THE JAZZ CONNECTION: THE JEWISH & AFRICAN-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP. Cab Calloway, Clark Terry, the Klezmatics, and Alan King all on the same stage-and you want thematic explanations? This benefit for the Jewish Presence Foun- dation explores the links between minority status, improvisatory music, and humor. (Avery Fisher Hal1.). . . At 8: The GRP All- Stars, with David Benoit, the Rippingtons, and Patti Austin. (Beacon Theatre, Broad- way at 74th St. 496-7070.). . . <<II June 25 at 8: A LULLABY FOR BIRDLAND. with George Shearing, the Count Basie Orchestra, and others. (Carnegie Hal1.)... At 8: GROVER WASHINGTON. JR.. and the MICHEL CAMILO trio. (Avery Fisher Hall.). . . At 8: The Jazz Explosion Superband and RUSSELL MALONE. (Beacon Theatre.)... <<II June 26 at 8: A benefit for Jazzmobile, with the BOBBY WATSON big band. (Carnegie Hall.). . . At 8: GILBERTO GIL. Gil was one of the main provocateurs in the Brazilian Tropicalia movement, which usurped bossa nova in the late sixties. Tropicalia found room in its balmy mix for pop and folk elements; today Gil extends that eclectic legacy by bringing in rock, reggae, and African music. With any 21 YOU MIGHT IMPROVE YOUR SERVICE, BUT YOU'LL NEVER Q-Í MATCH t -; I I _ I OURS." 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